By Rulon Henderson | Project Coordinator
Women in rural Zambia face a great challenge in receiving care for pregnancies. UNICEF reports that 53% of women in Zambia deliver from home, due to the great distances they live from the nearest health post. Only 47% of births in Zambia are attended by a skilled health worker.
During our last few months of outreach On Call Africa has seen on average 50 expecting mothers a week. Antenatal services are crucial to keeping both mothers and children healthy; before, during, and after childbirth. In addition to inaccessible healthcare and a lack of sanitary facilities, Zambian women have additional concerns during their pregnancies. Most mothers in the US and UK do not have to worry about contracting malaria or drinking safe water. OCA’s doctors and local volunteers advise women on how to stay healthy, getting nutrition, and protect themselves and their children simultaneous to providing a full check-up for mother and baby, giving necessary vitamins and testing for HIV. Our Under-5 clinics have been packed with our doctors seeing between 90-100 infants and children each trip into the bush. The children are all weighed to monitor and chart their growth; and are treated for worms, diarrhea & other common ailments while being vaccinated against disease.
On Call was lucky enough to have a Nicky Luescher, a trained Midwife from the UK volunteer with us on clinics this past year. Nicky accounts “ Clinics were busy…I saw some interesting cases including having to tell a 44 year old woman who was on her eleventh pregnancy that she was now pregnant with twins! On the same day I saw a 15-year-old girl who was pregnant for the first time and tested HIV positive. She looked completely shell-shocked and I think it will take a long time before it sinks in properly. On the plus side if she hadn’t have been pregnant she may not have been tested for many years and she can now start treatment early and hopefully prevent transmission to her baby.”
According to the Central Statistics Office of Zambia one in every nine children in Zambia dies before his or her fifth birthday. It is crucial for mothers and children to receive medical attention and health education from the beginning to set them on the right track to healthy living. Our team continues to bring these services to the families of Simango, Katapazi and Mapatizya thanks to your on-going support.
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